A Hamburger Today

The boys behind the newly opened Prohibition-era inspired diner Beuchert's Saloon know a thing or two about hangovers. Partners August Paro, Brendan McMahon, and Nathan Berger painstakingly restored the historic building just steps from Eastern Market themselves, down to the wallpaper and light fixtures. After long nights working with their hands, then facing the first weeks after opening, followed by hours of drinking, it quickly became clear that there would need to be sufficient hangover alleviation available on their brunch menu.

Chef Andrew Markert (formerly of PS7) has a particular affinity for oxtail. The Oxtail Gravy and Biscuits ($16) is a dish that's emblematic of Markert's penchant for turning familiar foods on their head. In this highbrow take on biscuits and gravy, the gravy is thick, fatty, and full of shredded oxtail, which is densely flavorful and lush with an earthy undertone. The biscuits provide a lighter contrast, and a touch of lemon zest in the batter adds a hint of citrus. The dish is topped with a pair of poached eggs and microgreens. Pop the yolks and it all combines into a rich alcohol sponge.

Beuchert's is a long narrow space full of exposed brick and leather trim. It also has the added benefit of being adjacent to a high wall, so almost none of the sunlight through its windows is direct—ideal for those finding the morning to be uncharacteristically and inexplicably bright.